USDA: Number of Americans going hungry increases

In the November 16, 2009 article "USDA: Number of Americans going hungry increases," Associated Press writer Henry C. Jackson reports an increase in the number of U.S. residents who have difficulty feeding their families.

WASHINGTON – More than one in seven American households struggled to put enough food on the table in 2008, the highest rate since the Agriculture Department began tracking food security levels in 1995.

That's about 49 million people, or 14.6 percent of U.S. households. The numbers are a significant increase from 2007, when 11.1 percent of U.S. households suffered from what USDA classifies as "food insecurity" — not having enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle.

Researchers blamed the increase in hunger on a lack of money and other resources.

President Barack Obama called the USDA's findings "unsettling." He noted that other indicators of hunger have gone up, such as the number of food stamp applications and the use of food banks. And he said his administration is committed to reversing the trend.

"The first task is to restore job growth, which will help relieve the economic pressures that make it difficult for parents to put a square meal on the table each day," Obama said in a statement.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the numbers could be higher in 2009 because of the global economic slowdown.

"This report suggests its time for America to get very serious about food security and hunger," Vilsack told reporters during a conference call.

The USDA said Monday that 5.7 percent of those who struggled for food experienced "very low food security," meaning household members reduced their food intake.

The numbers dovetail with dire economic conditions for many Americans. And they may not take the full measure of America's current struggles with hunger: Vilsack and the report's lead author, Mark Nord with USDA's economic research service, both emphasized that the numbers reflected the situation in 2008 and that the economy's continued troubles in 2009 would likely mean higher numbers next year.

The report also showed an increasing number of children in the United States are suffering. In 2008, 16.7 million children were classified as not having enough food, 4.3 million more than in 2007.

Hunger advocates said they were not surprised by the numbers, and said the problem among children, in particular, is lamentable.

"What should really shock us is that almost one in four children in our country lives on the brink of hunger," said David Beckmann, the President of Bread of the World, an advocacy organization.

Vilsack said that it would take a concerted effort to reduce the number of Americans who face a lack of food and said he hoped that the stark reality of Monday's report would inspire action. The numbers could have been much worse without adequately funded food aid programs, such as food stamps, he said.

"There's an opportunity here for the country to make a major commitment to focus on ways we can improve this process and make sure that food is safe and available for everyone," he said.

In Our World of Prosperity, Over 1 Billion People Suffer from Hunger

According to a United Nations report released June 19, 2009, one sixth of the world´s population is in hunger.

World hunger reaches the 1 billion people mark
By ALESSANDRA RIZZO, Associated Press Writer

ROME – More than a billion people — a sixth of the world's population — are now hungry, a historic high due largely to the global economic crisis and stubbornly high food prices, a U.N. agency said Friday.

Compared with last year, there are 100 million more people who are hungry, meaning they consume fewer than 1,800 calories a day, the Food and Agriculture Organization said.

Almost all the world's undernourished live in developing countries, where food prices have fallen more slowly than in the richer nations, the report said. Poor countries need more aid and agricultural investment to cope, it said.

"The silent hunger crisis, affecting one-sixth of all of humanity, poses a serious risk for world peace and security," said the agency's Director-General Jacques Diouf.

Officials presenting the new estimates in Rome sought to stress the link between hunger and peace, noting that soaring prices for staples, such as rice, triggered riots in the developing world last year.

"Food security is one of our most critical peace and security issues of our time," said Josette Sheeran of the World Food Program, another U.N. food agency based in Rome.

"A hungry world is a dangerous world," she told reporters.

Hunger increased despite strong cereal production in 2009, and a mild retreat in food prices from the highs of mid-2008. However, average prices at the end of last year were still 24 percent higher in real terms than in 2006, FAO said.

The global economic crisis has compounded the problem for people who must now deal with pay cuts or job losses. Individual countries have also lost flexibility in handling price fluctuations, as the crisis has made tools such as currency devaluation less effective.

The report said the urban poor would likely be hit hardest as foreign investment declines and demand for exports drops, and millions would return to the countryside, which could put pressure on rural communities and resources.

Globally there are now about 1.02 billion people hungry, up 11 percent from last year's 915 million, the agency said. It based its estimate on an analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Asia and the Pacific, the world's most populous region, has the largest number of hungry people, at 642 million.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of hunger, with 265 million undernourished representing 32 percent of the region's population.

In the developed world, undernourishment is a growing concern, with 15 million now hungry, the report said.
The crisis also affects the quality of nutrition, as families tend to buy cheaper foods, such as grains, which are rich in calories but contain fewer proteins than meat or dairy products.

Diouf urged governments to immediately set up social protection programs to improve food access for those in need. He said small farmers should be helped with seeds, tools and fertilizers.

He urged structural, long-term changes, such as increasing production in low-income countries, noting that world hunger had been increasing before the financial downturn.

To learn more about the World Food Program's "A Billion for a Billion" campaign , click here.